VetsParkMcDonald - Independent Reading

Why is it important to choose a just right book for independent reading?

If you choose a book that is too hard you won’t be able to practice your skills because the book will be too hard
If it’s not too hard then you can read it from cover to cover
You can make progress in reading
So that the words aren’t too hard and you can read the words
If it is too hard then you won’t “get” what you are reading
You’ll be able to summarize it
A just right book is at your level so you can understand it
A book that’s too easy won’t get you thinking

How do you know when a book is just-right for you?

The summary on the back is interesting
The first few pages interest you
You’re able to practice your reading skills using that book
You can read most but not all the words (on 1 page you only make 3-4 mistakes with words)
If someone asks you questions about the book and you can easily talk about it
You know when you are making mistakes
You understand what you’re reading (it makes sense) but you have to stop to think about it
It doesn’t take you forever to read it
You’ll want to finish it
It’s about a topic that you like
After you read a page, or chapter, or the whole book you know what happened
You can summarize it well
You can visualize what is happening